2 Thessalonians | Acts 18:12-19:22

It is presumed that Timothy went back to deliver Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, and while he was there it became evident that they were in a great deal of turmoil over the events that were overtaking them.  They were under a great deal of persecution, and some false teachers had told them that Jesus had already returned, and they had missed it.  Consequently, when Paul heard about this, he penned this second letter to clear things up for them regarding the last days, and there errors they were being told.

Paul tells them that the Day of the Lord had not yet come, and that it would not come in the future until the “lawless one” (the anti-christ) is revealed in the world.  Until that time comes in the future, Paul said that God is restraining, or holding back all of the evil that satan would like to do in this world, which we understand to be an active work of the Holy Spirit.  When the time is right, the Spirit of God’s restraint will be removed, the man of lawlessness will be revealed in the world, and he will bring about great destruction and evil until Jesus returns to execute final judgement upon him, and upon the Lord’s enemies in this world.  He concludes by encouraging them, and telling them to stand firm in their faith until the Lord accomplishes what will be done.

Meanwhile, Paul was preaching and teaching in Corinth, and after experiencing little fruit while preaching to the Jews, he determined to just focus his ministry on the Gentiles in that city.  At the end of his time in Corinth, Paul and his group return to Ephesus, where he spends some time before heading back to Caesarea and Antioch, but he leaves Priscilla and Aquilla to minister in Ephesus.  It is there there they meet Apollos, who is a skilled preacher, but who has an incomplete understanding of the gospel.  They help him understand the full gospel of Jesus Christ, and he then travels to Achaia and preaches in Corinth.  After this Paul returns to Asia Minor, and spends another 2 years in and around Ephesus.